History Quotes / THEChessmaster

->''"Fancy what a game of chess would be if all the chessmen had passions and intellects, more or less small and cunning; if you were not only uncertain about your adversary's men, but a little uncertain also about your own; if your knight could shuffle himself on to a new square by the sly; if your bishop, at your castling, could wheedle your pawns out of their places; and if your pawns, hating you because they are pawns, could make away from their appointed posts that you might get checkmate on a sudden. You might be the longest-headed of deductive reasoners, and yet you might be beaten by your own pawns. You would be especially likely to be beaten, if you depended arrogantly on your mathematical imagination, and regarded your passionate pieces with contempt. Yet this imaginary chess is easy compared with the game a man has to play against his fellow-men with other fellow-men for his instruments."''-->-- ''Felix Holt'', by '''George Eliot'''

to:

->''"Fancy ->''Fancy what a game of chess would be if all the chessmen had passions and intellects, more or less small and cunning; if you were not only uncertain about your adversary's men, but a little uncertain also about your own; if your knight could shuffle himself on to a new square by the sly; if your bishop, at your castling, could wheedle your pawns out of their places; and if your pawns, hating you because they are pawns, could make away from their appointed posts that you might get checkmate on a sudden. You might be the longest-headed of deductive reasoners, and yet you might be beaten by your own pawns. You would be especially likely to be beaten, if you depended arrogantly on your mathematical imagination, and regarded your passionate pieces with contempt. Yet this imaginary chess is easy compared with the game a man has to play against his fellow-men with other fellow-men for his instruments."''''-->-- ''Felix Holt'', by '''George Eliot'''Creator/GeorgeEliot

->''"No game of dejarik can be won without pawns... and this may prove to be a very long game."''-->-- '''Kreia''' [[spoiler:(AKA '''[[TheManBehindTheMan Darth Traya]]''')]], ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords''

->TT: If it puts your mind at ease, I'll be the one pulling the strings here.\\GG: Oh yes?\\GG: Then this whole affair will be one of D. Strider's grand productions in puppetry? -->-- '''Dirk Strider (TT) and Jane Crocker (GG)''', ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}''

->The Patrician disliked the word "dictator." It affronted him. He never told anyone what to do. He didn't have to, that was the wonderful part. A large part of his life consisted of arranging matters so that this state of affairs continued [...] Human nature, the Patrician always said, was a marvelous thing. Once you understood where its levers were.

to:

->The ->''"The Patrician disliked the word "dictator." It affronted him. He never told anyone what to do. He didn't have to, that was the wonderful part. A large part of his life consisted of arranging matters so that this state of affairs continued [...] Human nature, the Patrician always said, was a marvelous thing. Once you understood where its levers were."''

->Fancy what a game of chess would be if all the chessmen had passions and intellects, more or less small and cunning; if you were not only uncertain about your adversary's men, but a little uncertain also about your own; if your knight could shuffle himself on to a new square by the sly; if your bishop, at your castling, could wheedle your pawns out of their places; and if your pawns, hating you because they are pawns, could make away from their appointed posts that you might get checkmate on a sudden. You might be the longest-headed of deductive reasoners, and yet you might be beaten by your own pawns. You would be especially likely to be beaten, if you depended arrogantly on your mathematical imagination, and regarded your passionate pieces with contempt. Yet this imaginary chess is easy compared with the game a man has to play against his fellow-men with other fellow-men for his instruments.-->-- ''Felix Holt'' by George Eliot

->He is the Napoleon of crime, Watson. He is the organiser of half that is evil and of nearly all that is undetected in this great city. He is a genius, a philosopher, an abstract thinker. He has a brain of the first order. He sits motionless, like a spider in the centre of its web, but that web has a thousand radiations, and he knows well every quiver of each of them. He does little himself. He only plans. But his agents are numerous and splendidly organised. Is there a crime to be done, a paper to be abstracted, we will say, a house to be rifled, a man to be removed - the word is passed to the Professor, the matter is organised and carried out. The agent may be caught. In that case money is found for his bail or his defence. But the central power which uses the agent is never caught - never so much as suspected.

to:

->Fancy ->''"Fancy what a game of chess would be if all the chessmen had passions and intellects, more or less small and cunning; if you were not only uncertain about your adversary's men, but a little uncertain also about your own; if your knight could shuffle himself on to a new square by the sly; if your bishop, at your castling, could wheedle your pawns out of their places; and if your pawns, hating you because they are pawns, could make away from their appointed posts that you might get checkmate on a sudden. You might be the longest-headed of deductive reasoners, and yet you might be beaten by your own pawns. You would be especially likely to be beaten, if you depended arrogantly on your mathematical imagination, and regarded your passionate pieces with contempt. Yet this imaginary chess is easy compared with the game a man has to play against his fellow-men with other fellow-men for his instruments.instruments."''-->-- ''Felix Holt'' Holt'', by George Eliot

->He '''George Eliot'''

->''"He is the Napoleon of crime, Watson. He is the organiser of half that is evil and of nearly all that is undetected in this great city. He is a genius, a philosopher, an abstract thinker. He has a brain of the first order. He sits motionless, like a spider in the centre of its web, but that web has a thousand radiations, and he knows well every quiver of each of them. He does little himself. He only plans. But his agents are numerous and splendidly organised. Is there a crime to be done, a paper to be abstracted, we will say, a house to be rifled, a man to be removed - the word is passed to the Professor, the matter is organised and carried out. The agent may be caught. In that case money is found for his bail or his defence. But the central power which uses the agent is never caught - never so much as suspected."''

->The trouble, coz, with your playing the spider in the center of this web, pulling all the strings, is that sooner or later all the interested parties are going to converge back along those strings to you. You do realize that, don't you? And what are you going to do then, O Mastermind?

to:

->The ->''"The trouble, coz, with your playing the spider in the center of this web, pulling all the strings, is that sooner or later all the interested parties are going to converge back along those strings to you. You do realize that, don't you? And what are you going to do then, O Mastermind?Mastermind?"''

->Now you understand? Can you see the mind behind all these events that would seem to be entirely random? In our world, everything happens to serve an end. Everything has its reason and its logic. And those who won't move under these maxims only deserve to lick the boots of those who have reason in both hands. And if something as simple as a man, a woman and a book, put an end to all of your glory, then you are nothing. You have no power. You're not intelligent nor wise. You are not Materia nor important. Just a pawn in a good position.

->''"Now you understand? Can you see the mind behind all these events that would seem to be entirely random? In our world, everything happens to serve an end. Everything has its reason and its logic. And those who won't move under these maxims only deserve to lick the boots of those who have reason in both hands. And if something as simple as a man, a woman and a book, put an end to all of your glory, then you are nothing. You have no power. You're not intelligent nor wise. You are not Materia nor important. Just a pawn in a good position."''

->The truth? Hex wants the truth. Where to start? The most important truth you never learned, Hexxie boy is that when the chips are down, The Doctor only ever thinks about himself. You see, it's just a chess game for him. He is the King - all clever and very impressive but very hands-off with the nitty-gritty. He sits at the back and sends everyone else rushing about, doing his dirty work, all those plans and strategies and tinkering, sending wave after wave of pawns to die [[TechnicalPacifist while he keeps his conscience clean.]]''-->-- '''[[BigBad The Word Lord]]''', ''AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho'', "[[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWho140ADeathInTheFamily A Death In The Family]]"

->I remember having this chat with [[Creator/SylvesterMccoy Sylvester]], probably during Season 25, where we said [[Series/DoctorWho the Doctor]] is like a distant mountain range, mistily seen, an imposing power from a distance. A damn sight easier to plot, too. This version of the Doctor, I have a lot more respect for him. I always hated it when he was [[DistressedDude zapped on the head or knocked unconscious and tied up]]. I always thought that was demeaning to him. If he does get tied up, it should be that it was his plan all along."

to:

->The ->''"The truth? Hex wants the truth. Where to start? The most important truth you never learned, Hexxie boy is that when the chips are down, The Doctor only ever thinks about himself. You see, it's just a chess game for him. He is the King - all clever and very impressive but very hands-off with the nitty-gritty. He sits at the back and sends everyone else rushing about, doing his dirty work, all those plans and strategies and tinkering, sending wave after wave of pawns to die [[TechnicalPacifist while he keeps his conscience clean.]]'']]"''-->-- '''[[BigBad The Word Lord]]''', ''AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho'', "[[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWho140ADeathInTheFamily ''AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho'' ("[[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWho140ADeathInTheFamily A Death In The Family]]"

->I Family]]")

->''"I remember having this chat with [[Creator/SylvesterMccoy Sylvester]], probably during Season 25, where we said [[Series/DoctorWho the Doctor]] is like a distant mountain range, mistily seen, an imposing power from a distance. A damn sight easier to plot, too. This version of the Doctor, I have a lot more respect for him. I always hated it when he was [[DistressedDude zapped on the head or knocked unconscious and tied up]]. I always thought that was demeaning to him. If he does get tied up, it should be that it was his plan all along.""''

->Several ages of plans, intrigue and deal-making have honed this man to a plotter extraordinaire. The trivial concerns of the day-to-day world are far below casual notice; the important events all happen in the unfolding tapestry of history. Now, Control is [[HumanoidAbomination beyond anything comprehensible to humans]]. Intruding where necessary, arriving and leaving at whim under a cloak of secrecy, Control decides the fate of the world itself.

to:

->Several ->''"Several ages of plans, intrigue and deal-making have honed this man to a plotter extraordinaire. The trivial concerns of the day-to-day world are far below casual notice; the important events all happen in the unfolding tapestry of history. Now, Control is [[HumanoidAbomination beyond anything comprehensible to humans]]. Intruding where necessary, arriving and leaving at whim under a cloak of secrecy, Control decides the fate of the world itself."''

->Righting the discord of the universal opus is what's given [[OurElvesAreBetter my people]] purpose when, by all rights, we as a race sure would have collapsed in upon ourselves. It is in such moments that species find their greatness, or settle back into the muck that spawned them. For myself, I have purpose of only to correct one particular stray note in the symphony run amok. Win or lose, this battle already is my victory, my triumph. It is now fate which decides whether I am there to celebrate that fact, [[ThanatosGambit or not]].

to:

->Righting ->''"Righting the discord of the universal opus is what's given [[OurElvesAreBetter my people]] purpose when, by all rights, we as a race sure would have collapsed in upon ourselves. It is in such moments that species find their greatness, or settle back into the muck that spawned them. For myself, I have purpose of only to correct one particular stray note in the symphony run amok. Win or lose, this battle already is my victory, my triumph. It is now fate which decides whether I am there to celebrate that fact, [[ThanatosGambit or not]]."''

->All war is deception: [[NoIAmBehindYou when they think we are in front of them, we are behind them]]; [[ObfuscatingDisability when they think we are weak, we are strong]]; [[ConservationOfNinjitsu when they think we are few, we are]] ''[[BadassArmy legion]].'' For there ever to be true balance, there must first be chaos, and chaos is ''ours'' to orchestrate. [[TalkingTheMonsterToDeath One word can equal the might of a thousand swords]], and [[TalkToTheFist one sword can obliterate a thousand lies]]. Everyone and everything has a purpose and a path, if only as a ruse or a diversion. Everything can manipulated into usefulness by [[MagnificentBastard those who truly understand the nature of things]]: ''we'' understand; we create chaos in order to achieve balance.\\[[LongGame The two most powerful warriors are patience and time]]. We are Dragon... ''and we have both.''-->-- Dragon faction trailer, ''VideoGame/TheSecretWorld''

->Whether on the main stage or [[TheManBehindTheMan behind the scenes]], his influence on all events is unmistakable.

to:

->All ->''"All war is deception: [[NoIAmBehindYou when they think we are in front of them, we are behind them]]; [[ObfuscatingDisability when they think we are weak, we are strong]]; [[ConservationOfNinjitsu when they think we are few, we are]] ''[[BadassArmy legion]].'' For there ever to be true balance, there must first be chaos, and chaos is ''ours'' to orchestrate. [[TalkingTheMonsterToDeath One word can equal the might of a thousand swords]], and [[TalkToTheFist one sword can obliterate a thousand lies]]. Everyone and everything has a purpose and a path, if only as a ruse or a diversion. Everything can manipulated into usefulness by [[MagnificentBastard those who truly understand the nature of things]]: ''we'' understand; we create chaos in order to achieve balance.\\[[LongGame The two most powerful warriors are patience and time]]. We are Dragon... ''and we have both.''''"''-->-- Dragon '''Dragon faction trailer, trailer''', ''VideoGame/TheSecretWorld''

->Whether ->''"Whether on the main stage or [[TheManBehindTheMan behind the scenes]], his influence on all events is unmistakable."''

->Several ages of plans, intrigue and deal-making have honed this man to a plotter extraordinaire. The trivial concerns of the day-to-day world are far below casual notice; the important events all happen in the unfolding tapestry of history. Now, Control is [[HumanoidAbomination beyond anything comprehensible to humans]]. Intruding where necessary, arriving and leaving at whim under a cloak of secrecy, Control decides the fate of the world itself.-->--''TabletopGame/MageTheAscension - Guide To The Technocracy''

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